Nick Perks drew this Santa/Superman piece. So how this works is that every day until Christmas Eve, you can click on the current day's Advent Calendar post and it'll have a story in it that is part of my countdown of the 24 Greatest Superman Christmas Comics ever told! And I'll add links to the previous days in each new installment.

Here's Day 1, #24 on the countdown.

Here's Day 2, #23 on the countdown.

Here's Day 3, #22 on the countdown

Here's Day 4, #21 on the countdown

Here's Day 5, #20 on the countdown

Here's Day 6, #19 on the countdown

Here's Day 7, #18 on the countdown

Here's Day 8, #17 on the countdown

Here's Day 9, #16 on the countdown

Here's Day 10, #15 on the countdown

Here's Day 11, #14 on the countdown

Here's Day 12, #13 on the countdown

Here's Day 13, #12 on the countdown

Here's Day 14, #11 on the countdown

Here's Day 15, #10 on the countdown

Here's Day 16, #9 on the countdown

Here's Day 17, #8 on the countdown

And now for Day 18, #7 on the countdown is...

"Metropolis Mailbag II," from "Superman" #76 by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding.

I know what you're thinking, "But Brian, Superman is not even IN this comic, how can it rank so high on the greatest Superman Christmas stories list?" And you know what, you'd have a point there, but I dunno, I think that this is still an excellent and memorable issue, and it's about the SPIRIT of Superman, if that makes sense at all.

The story takes place during the "Funeral for a Friend" storyline, as the heroes of Earth are dealing with Superman's tragic death. Lois meets up with Ma and Pa Kent and Lana Lang is also along for the ride. Meanwhile, the teenager whose home Doomsday destroyed earlier in the story (before Superman showed up to save him and his family) travels to Metropolis to find SOMEone to thank for Superman being there (while being pissed off that his dad WASN'T there).

The heroes of the world step in to answer the Metropolis Mailbag in Superman's absence and it is adorable...

Very touching work. Of course, that teenager later had to get superpowers because, well, of course he did.